A multitude of semiconductor devices are typically fabricated together on a single substrate or wafer, and subsequently separated or singulated into individual components that are incorporated into an electrical apparatus, sometimes after further processing. Singulation is commonly achieved by placing a wafer on an adhesive-coated polymer tape that is held by a frame, and cutting through the thickness of the wafer without cutting through the tape to separate the individual semiconductor devices from each other. After singulation, it is common to wash the individual semiconductor devices, while they are still attached to the tape, to remove debris generated during the cutting step. Thereafter, the individual semiconductors are removed from the tape, such as with a pick-and-place apparatus, in a die sorting operation.
During a die sorting operation, following singulation and washing, the separated individual components (often referred to as “dice”) are removed from the tape using, in combination, a needle thrust or poke from the back of the tape, and a vacuum pick tip or suction collet that engages the die from the other side. This combination lifts and separates the die from the tape. During this operation, alignment of the center points of the needle and pick tip is critical to ensuring that the die being removed from the tape does not contact an adjacent die. As the die is being lifted from the tape, misalignment of the pick tip and needle may cause the die to tilt slightly, frequently up to about eight or nine degrees. Given the typical die clearance, it is possible for the picked die to tilt and contact an adjacent die. This can cause damage to the picked die and/or the adjacent contacted die. Such damage can cause immediate failure or inoperability of the component, or premature failure in normal use.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and process for using a conventional pick-and-place apparatus for removing the dice from the tape, without contacting the picked die with an adjacent die during the sorting operation.